Portable acetylene generator



Patented June 13, 1933 lTED STATES PATENT FFIcE- STUART PLUMLEY, OFMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH WELDING EQUIPMENT CORPORATION,OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PORTABLE ACETYLENEGENERATOR Application filed October 27, 1930. Serial No. 491,610.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in acetylenegenerators, particularly of the portable type, and more particularly toa mechanism adapted tov feed the carbide from the usual carbide chamberor hopper of the generator, into the usual wa-' ter chamber thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a carbide feeding mechanismincluding a plate adapted to be interposed between the usual carbidehopper and the water chamber of the generator, and forming in effect thebottom of said hopper, and said plate having a feed opening therein overwhich a feed member is mounted, said member being provlded with meansfor rotating it whereby it may feed the carbide deposited on the outerportions of said plate, towards the feed opening therein forprecipitation into the water 0 chamber.

A further object is to provide a carbide feed mechanism for an acetylenegenerator including a plate adapted to be fixedly mounted between theusual water chamber of the generator and'the carbide chamber providedabove the water chamber, said plate having a centrally located openingtherein over which is mounted an inverted cone, adapted to prevent thecarbide in the carbide chamber from flowing through the opening in saidplate, and a spider being mounted over the opening in said plate beneathsaid inverted cone and having curved arms adapted to feed the carbide onsaid plate inwardly towards said opening, said spider having non rigidconnections with a drive shaft extending upwardly through the carbldechamber, the upper end of which, is connected with a suitable motorwhereby, when said motor is operated, the spider will be actuated tofeed carbide deposited on said plate through the opening therein,whereby it will be precipitated into the water chamberof the generator,and a water-tight valve being provided for closing the opening in saidplate when the generator is not in use.

A further object is to provide a portable generator having means wherebythe opening between the lower part of the generator and the carbidehopper may be closed with .a

water-tight valve whereby the generator may be moved about withoutdanger of water entering the carbide chamber, and the generator alsohaving a novel feed mechanism which will not stick and becomeinoperative when the generator is in use.

out the various objects of the invention, but

it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exactfeatures shown as various changes may be made within the scope of theclaims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a generator showing the inventionembodied in the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showingthe spider for feeding the carbide through the feed opening in the plateprovided at the bottom of the hopper; and I Figure 3 is an enlargeddetail sectional view showing the means for closing the feed opening inthe plate separating the water chamber from the carbide hopper.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, for purposes ofdisclosure, there is illustrated in Figure 1, an acetylene generator ofordinary construction, comprising the usual shell 2 provided with abottom 3 and an upper frusto-conical wall 4 which cooperate to define awater chamber 5. An agitator 6 is shown mounted in the lower portion ofthe water chamber and is provided with the usual crank 7 situatedexteriorly of the shell 2 whereby the agitator may be operated whennecessary. The shell 2 of the generator has secured thereto a suitablefunnel 8 which communicates with the Water chamber 5 through a suitablevalve 9, where by water may be introduced into the water chamber. Asuitable drain valve 10 is shown provided at the lower portion of thegenerator by means of which the contents of the water chamber may bedrained therefrom.

The upper portion of the frusto-conical Wall 4 is shown terminating in acylindrical portion 11 provided with an outwardly turned flange 12. Thisflange provides a support for a plate 13, which provides an importantfeature of the invention. This plate serves as a bottom for a carbidehopper 14, supported upon the generator. The hopper is secured to thegenerator by suitable clamping bolts 16 passing through aperturesprovided in the outwardly turned flange 12, and similar aperturesprovided in an annular member 17 having an upright annular flange 18engaging a member 19 secured to the lower portion of the hopper 14, bysuch means as weldin Suitable gaskets 20 are engaged with the oppositemarginal portions of the plate 13, and prevent leakage of the gas fromthe upper portion of the generator. The diameter of the plate 13 ispreferably such that its periphery will engage the clamping bolts 16, asshown in Figure 2, whereby these bolts provide means for centering theplate with respect to the axis of the generator.

A feed opening 21 is provided in the plate 13 and is preferablycentrally located therein. A plu valve 22 of a suitable material such asrubber, is provided for closing the feed'opening 21 in the plate 13,when the generator is not in use. This valve is supported upon an arm 23secured to a shaft 24 mounted in suitable bearings 25 and 26, secured toupper outer portions of the frustoconical wall 4, as shown in Figure 2.The shaft 24 passes through the upper inner portion of the generator,and provides means for operating the arm 23 carrying the valve 22. Asuitable operating lever 27 is secured to one end of the shaft 24 andhas a latch 28 thereon adapted to engage a notched quadrant 29 wherebythe valve may be locked in closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.The dotted lines in Figure 1 illustrate the valve in an open position.

The hopper 14 is provided with an upper cone-shaped wall 30 which has afiller opening 31 therein through which the carbide may be introducedinto the hopper 14. The filler opening 31 is provided with a suitableclosure 32 adapted to be secured in position by suitable clamping boltsor studs 33.

A tubular member 34 is fixedly mounted. within the hopper 14 and has itsupper end suitably secured to the upper portion of the wall 30 of thehopper, and extending therethrough as shown in Figure 1. An invertedcone 35 is secured to the lower end of the tubular member 34 and has itslower edge spacedfrom the top surface of the plate 13 and from the lowerwalls of the hopper 14 to permit carbide to flow between the edge of thecone 35 and the Wall of the hopper 14, as indicated at the right handside of Figure 3. The inverted cone 35 prevents the carbide from flowingto the center of the plate 13 Where the feed opening 21 is located. (SeeFigure 3.)

Another feature of the invention resides in the means provided forfeeding the carbide from the outer portions of the plate 13 towards thecenter thereof and through the feed opening 21, into the water chamber.Such means consists of a spider 36 having a plurality of curved arms 37,preferably shaped as shown in Figure 2. his spider is positioned overthe feed opening 21 and directl beneath the cone 35 as shown.

A means for operating the spider 36 is shown in Figure 1, and mayconsist of a suitable spring-actuated motor 38 suitably supported uponthe upper portion of the generator and having a drive shaft 39 extendingdownwardly through the tubular member 34 and provided at its lower endwith oppositely extending arms 41, having suitable chains 42 connectingthe outer ends thereof with oppositely disposed arms of the spider, aswill be understood by reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. Themotor 38 is provided with a crank 43 whereby it may be wound up. Theoperation of the motor is controlled by a suitable regulator, indicatedby the numeral 44 in Figure 1, which is operated by the pressure of thegas in the generator.

By connecting the spider-shaped feed member 36 to the arms 41 of thedrive shaft 39, by means of the chains 42, the feed member is draggedaround by the chains and is permitted to move both vertically andhorizontally as it is pulled through the carbide, with the result thatit cannot stick and render the feedings mechanism inoperative. The

curved arms 37 of the spider 36 are adapted to dig into the carbidepositioned upon the plate and thus move it towards the center of theplate 13 from which it is fed through the opening 21 and into the waterchamber at the bottom of the generator. The inverted cone 35 preventsthe carbide from rendering the spider 36 inoperative and. at the sametime prevents the carbide from flowing through the feed opening 21 whenthe feed mechanism is not being operated.

The valve 22 provides means for closing the feed opening 21 to preventwater from entering the carbide chamber or hopper, when the generator isbeing moved about from place to place, whereby water cannot accidentallyenter the carbide chamber above the plate 13. When the valve is openedby manipulation of the lever 28, the valve swings clear of the carbideopening, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1, so that the particlesof carbide being fed through the feed opening 21 will not impingeagainst the valve but drop directly into the water. The valve is solocated that when in the open position shown by the dotted lines inFigure 1, it will not project into the water in the chamber 5.

By securing the plate 13 in position between the upper portion of thecylindrical portion 11 and the hopper 14 in the manner shown in Figure3, no holes need be drilled therein. The plate is centered by means ofthe clamping bolts 16 which substantially engage the periphery thereof,and is securely held in place within the confines of these bolts bymeans of the flange 12 and annular member 17, the gaskets 2O engagedwith the opposite marginal edge portions of the plate 13 rendering thejoints substantially gas and water tight. By thus securing the plate inposition, it may readily be removed from the generator for replacementor repairs, when necessary, by simply removing the bolts 16 and liftingthe hopper sufficiently to permit the plate to be withdrawn from beneaththe annular member 17.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a portable acetylene generator having a water chamber therein, acarbide hopper over said chamber, a plate interposed between the bottomof the hopper and said wa ter chamber, and having a feed opening throughwhich the carbide is fed from the hopper into the water chamber, a valvefor closing said opening, said valve being mounted beneath the openingand having means exteriorly of the generator casing for operating it,means within the hopper for preventing the carbide from normally flowingthrough said feed opening, a spider for feeding the carbide through saidopening, a drive shaft for the spider provided with oppositely extendingarms, each having a flexible connection with the spider, and a clampingmeans for securing said plate in position between the hopper and saidwater chamber in leak-proof relation, comprising a pair of out- Wardlyturned flanges, one being provided upon the lower end of the hopper andthe other upon the upper end of the generator casing, between which themarginal edge portion of the plate is seated, and means for axiallytranslating said flanges to cause them to grip the marginal edgeportions of the plate.

2. In an acetylene generator, a hopper adapted to support a supply ofcarbide, a tank having a water chamber in the lower portion thereofadapted to receive carbide from said hopper, a wall separating thehopper from the water chamber and having a feed opening therein, meanswithin the hopper for normally preventing the carbide from dischargingtherefrom through said feed opening, a feed member normally resting onsaid wall and comprising a plurality of curved arms, a drive shafthaving oppositely extending arms secured thereto, and elongated flexibleelements operatively connecting said feed member with the arms on saidshaft whereby when said shaft is rotated, said feed member will beactuated to feed portions of the carbide through said feed opening andinto said water chamber.

3. In an acetylene generator, a hopper for supporting a supply ofcarbide, a tank having a water chamber therein adapted to receivecarbide from said hopper, a substantially horizontally disposed wallseparating the hopper from the water chamber and having a feed openingtherein, means within the carbide chamber for normally preventing thecarbide from discharging therefrom through said feed opening, a feedmember freely mounted over said feed opening and comprising a pluralityof arms extending beyond the edge of said feed opening and adapted to besupported on said wall, a drive shaft, flexible elements operativelyconnecting said shaft with said feed member whereby when said shaft isrotated, said flexible elements will cause a dragging movement to beimparted to said feed member to cause its arms to engage and feedportions of the carbide supported on said wall in an inward directionthrough said feed opening and into the water chamber, and a closure forsealing said opening.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of Oct.1980.

STUART PLUMLEY.

